Sarasota County under hurricane watch

An 11 p.m. update tracking the path of Hurricane Irma includes the issuance of a hurricane watch for a segment of Sarasota, the National Hurricane Center announced today.

The National Hurricane Center issued the hurricane watch for the portion of Florida’s west coast between Anna Maria Island and Bonita Beach.

A hurricane watch signals that sustained winds of 74 mph or higher are possible in the area within 48 hours. It is less severe than a hurricane warning, which is issued when those conditions are likely in a given area. Parts of south Florida have already been placed under a hurricane warning.

The latest National Hurricane Center model places Hurricane Irma’s landfall in south Florida this weekend. The storm has tracked westward relative to Wednesday’s models. The Sarasota area remains in the potential path of the storm, according to the forecast.